Need an inexpensive PLC and software for personal use

[scada.plc]

I want to buy used/inexpensive (under $500) PLC hardware and software for personal use/testing. Can any of you suggest the best way to go about this? Brand doesn't really matter.

 

[geniusintraining]

Micro800 https://www.rockwellautomation.com/...llers/all-products.html#micro-control-systems

Click Plus https://www.automationdirect.com/clickplcs/clickplus

Both above are good, software is free

 

[drbitboy]

Micro800 https://www.rockwellautomation.com/...llers/all-products.html#micro-control-systems

Click Plus https://www.automationdirect.com/clickplcs/clickplus

Both above are good, software is free

@geniusintraining is too modest and/or does not want to self-promote, but I have no skin in the game, so:

https://www.plccable.com/allen-bradley-micro820-plc-2080-lc20-20qbb-ethernet-i-p-controller/

 

[OkiePC]

I would not recommend CCW software for my worst enemy.
Click or Click Plus with Ethernet would be my recommendation.

 

[geniusintraining]

I would not recommend CCW software for my worst enemy.

Tell us how you really feel Paul , Its not as bad as it was and getting better....

 

[OkiePC]

I recently had to work on a Micro 8xx telemetry master PLC (originally programmed by others) using Modbus RTU over serial radio modems and it was horrible. It was programmed relatively well, but the Modbus Message instruction and how it was set up is hot trash.

Sorry, but I was tempted to swap it with a Click except that would mean I would have to deal with the redundant iFix servers connected to it and that might actually be even worse.

I was required to use the software on the customer's computer and it crashed frequently and eventually got corrupted and had to be re-installed (Version 12 iirc).

Yeah, no thanks. Click Plus all day for me.

 

[Scottryan03]

I would not recommend CCW software for my worst enemy.
Click or Click Plus with Ethernet would be my recommendation.

+1 to CCW - in short - trash.

My goto is productivity 1000 for small jobs w/o spec mfg, but Click Plus is probably best bang for your buck imo

 

[geniusintraining]

Oh Yah, almost forgot.... Go 49ers! good game

 

[OkiePC]

Oh Yah, almost forgot.... Go 49ers! good game

Love needed more Rodgers and less Favre at the end of that game and you'd be saying Go Pack Go! this weekend.

 

[geniusintraining]

Give him time at his age (and Purdy) they have many more games to mature into

 

[Bering C Sparky]

Not to steal anything away from Mark, but as Scottryan03 pointed out, Automation Direct is probably exactly what the OP is looking for.
The factories on the last boat I was on ran entirely off Automation Direct PLCs.
I think my counterpart who was there years before me had stock in the company or something. They had AD drives and HMIs on everything.

AD was entirely functional and easy to use, but I am very happy to be back working with Allen Bradley again.

https://www.automationdirect.com/adc/home/home

 

[Levi G]

And AD's Productivity Series now has Codesys.

 

[tlf30]

Automation direct is good, there are also some cheap PLCs on ebay.

+1 for CCW being the worst.... (Actually, Proficy Machine Edition is the worst, CCW is second worse)

 

[strantor]

The guy asking the question probably doesn't know...
CCW = Connected Components Workbench, and it's the software used to program the Micro800 PLC mentioned in post #2.

 

[BobB]

CCW is absolute ****! Click is quite good.